This includes detecting their formation, seeing where they are tracking and determining their intensity.

Prior to the satellite era (pre-1960s), some tropical storms and hurricanes could go undetected unless a ship encountered the storm or a land area was affected. During superstorm Sandy, which slammed the east coast the night of October 29, satellite images of the night sky offered a complete view of the storm and the widespread power outages, according to NASA. Low light sensors were also able to detect fog and other hard to see weather conditions.

The collection above showcases incredible images of hurricanes, some captured by NASA satellites and others from astronauts inside the International Space Station.